The invention concerns a drive unit, particularly for a calender of a paper machine, with a universal joint featuring two joint forks as well as a crosshead. A shaft is coordinated with each of the two joint forks. One shaft is arranged on the drive side and the other on the output side (drive shaft and output shaft). Additionally, a clutch engages and disengages the drive unit. Such drive units have become known from the German patent disclosure 27 34 381. Similar units are known from the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,618,941, 2,845,781, 2,911,804, and 4,194,279.
Today, such drive units must not only meet the demand for absolute operational safety, but also for the possibility of automating the clutch contained in them. The known drive units do not meet these desires in optimal fashion.
The problem underlying the invention is to design a drive unit according to the categorial definition that will be simple in construction, low cost in manufacture, reliable in operation and automatable as regards its actuation.